The Avatar and The Guardian
by DWTARDISGirl
Summary: What if there was a protector of the Avatar? What if there was a Guardian? This is the story of a girl from our universe which has to become the Avatar's Guardian.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Thank you so much to whoever clicks on this story! I hope that you like it.**

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I wish summer never had to end. It's pretty much the only time of year where I have some sense of freedom. Freedom from school, stress and anxiety over homework, deadlines, grades, and list just keeps going on and on.

Right now, I'm enjoying a bit of that freedom. I got to go down to the beach with a few of my friends. It's always been one of my favorite places to go, and now I'm laying in the sand and watching the sun set. I love the golden hues it puts out while itdisappears behind the water. I love the calming effect it's always had on me. It's perfect.

But that moment of perfection has just been broken. I hear this low droning noise and I see this glow in the ocean water. It just feels like it's calling me; that's the only way I can describe it. I start to wade into the water. Soon, I'm down to kneelevel. Then, I sink underneath and swim towards the light, closer and closer until it's shining so bright in my eyes that I can't see anything else. I reach my hand up to touch it and-

"AHHHHHH", I'm yelling as I'm being tossed and dragged around like a rag doll. My head's pounding away like someone's beating on it with a hammer. Then, suddenly, it stops.


	2. Chapter 2

_"AHHHHHH", I'm yelling as I'm being tossed and dragged around like a rag doll. My head's pounding away like someone's beating on it with a hammer. Then, suddenly, it stops._

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**A/N:** _ **Italics mean thoughts.**_ **Enjoy!**

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I open my eyes, not even realizing that I had closed them. I notice that I'm sitting on some grass in the middle of nowhere. _How the crap did I get here?_

I get up, turn around, and nearly scream. There's people standing there! Just staring at me!

"Who are you?", I try to say like I'm not afraid. "Wait. Roku?"

Roku stepped forward. "Yes, it is me, and some others who you should recognize."

I looked around and saw other people, or should Isay spirits, from Avatar:The Last Airbender which was probably my favorite TV show. I saw Agni, Tui and La, and what I assume to be the earth and air spirits, but-

"Roku, who's that?", I ask pointing to a particular person standing off to the side.

"That is someone who I expected you not to know," he said while motioning for the woman to come towards us. "This is Anju. She was the Guardian during my time as the Avatar."

"What's the Guardian?", I ask curiously.

"The Guardian is the protector of the Avatar and master of two elements, the native element of the past Avatar and the native element of the present Avatar," Roku said wisely.

 _This must be some dream I'm having. I've never invented another character in my dreams before._ I turned and looked at Guardian Anju. "Nice to meet you," I said. Turning back to Roku I said,"So why am I here Roku? And where is here, exactly?"

"We are in the Spirit World, and we all have a task for you," Roku said.

"What would that be?" I asked nervously.

"We need you to be the next Guardian," Anju said flatly.

I just stared. And looked back and forth between Roku and Anju. "What?" I asked softly, not believing what I was hearing.

Anju said, "We brought you from your world to the Spirit World. We want to send you to the material world in our universe so that you may help the Avatar in his journey and protect him." Anju carefully looked at me and then decided to say, "We need you to be his Guardian."

"Please tell me this is a dream. I've never dreamed this vividly before," I said almost like I was begging.

"This is no dream. We need you," Roku said gently.

"And HOW exactly do you expect me to do that?" I practically roared. "I'm not a bender and there's so many other people who are in your world that you could choose from! You just tore me away from my family, my friends, and my whole world! What am I supposed to do?!"

"Because we cannot trust anybody born in the Fire Nation with this kind of power," Anju answered forcefully. "We need you because you are outside of this war and have enough heart for the task."

Everything was silent. Everyone's eyes were on me and I could feel the tension and desperation in the air. "I'll do it." Everyone looked relieved. "But, I need to have all of my questions answered before I go to the Avatar universe," I said.

"We have to hurry. I am sorry. You will be able to contact us at a different time, but we have to begin the process." Roku said hurriedly.

"Fine," I said grumpily.

Someone from the crowd walked towards me. _So this must be Agni._ She put one thumb on my forehead and the other on my chest as her eyes glowed red. It felt like fire started running through my veins and I felt so _alive_ in that moment. Then, Agni pulled back, leaving me in shock. I hurriedly bowed and she walked back.

Then, someone floated, for lack of a better word, over to me. He did the same thing as Agni but his eyes glowed white. Instead of feeling like fire was flowing through my veins, I felt _free._ More free than I ever felt before. I felt so light on my feet and felt like I could do anything. Before I knew it, the spirit of air I assume, pulled back and went back to the crowd. I bowed to him while he was leaving.

Anju stepped in front of me. "I want to explain my gift to you. What you will receive is somewhat akin to the Avatar Spirit. I am going to give you the Guardian Spirit. This will allow you to communicate with all of the Guardians before you and enter the Guardian State. Are you ready?"

I nodded and tried to somewhat prepare myself for whatever was about to come. I hoped my face was somewhat neutral instead of plainly showing all the fear that was coursing through me. Anju put her thumbs on the center of my forehead and chest as her eyes glowed. Then, my eyes started to glow too, and I felt pure _power_ flow through me. It felt incredible. I knew and felt all of the pastincarnations of the Guardian as all of their strength run through me. Then, she stepped back and both of our eyes stopped glowing as the flow of power gradually stopped. 

Anju smiled at me and said, "It is time for you to begin your journey young Guardian." And with that, all of the spirits gathered around me. Their eyes glowed and they sent their hands down at the same for me, I was falling faster and faster until I hit water.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thanks again to everyone who reads this story. Also, a special thank you to my first two reviewers! I'm so glad you like it. Let's continue on with the story!**  
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 _Anju smiled at me and said, "It is time for you to begin your journey young Guardian." And with that, all of the spirits gathered around me. Their eyes glowed and they sent their hands down at the same time. Unfortunately for me,I was falling faster and faster until I hit water._

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I hit the water hard and it felt like pins and needles all over my body. I looked around and couldn't figure out which way was up. _I'm going to drown! Roku, Anju, I swear! Ugh. Ok. . Let out a tiny bit of air. Watch the bubbles. See where they go._ I followed the air bubbles all the way to the surface and came up just as my lungs felt like they were going to burst.

I gasped for air. I laid on my back, floating in the water and breathing heavily. I was exhausted, mentally and physically. _Maybe I can close my eyes- just to rest them for a few seconds._ As I started to close my eyes, I could see a ship in the distance.

* * *

I was shivering when I cracked my eyes open slightly. Instead of floating in water, I felt cold, hard metal beneath me. I saw a few blurry figures gathered over me and then closed my eyes again.

* * *

I woke up but kept my eyes closed. I smiled at the warmth and the blanket covering me. _Ooooo it feels so good to sleep in. I wish I could sleep in more often. Actually, I wonder why someone hasn't woke me up yet._ I open my eyes expecting to see the walls of my bedroom, but instead see cold metal walls with red hues and Fire Nation decorations.

 _Well I guess this is real._ I grudgingly get out of the bed and hear the pad of feet down the hall. They seem to stop at my door. I manage to press my back up against the wall opposite of the door just as it's being pushed open with a squeak. I slam the door closed with a kick and put my fist to the back of the man's head. _I guess those karate lessons really did come in handy._

 __

"Who are you and where am I?" I asked in a demanding voice.

"I mean you no harm." _I know that voice. Wait. That's-_ "I am Iroh and you are on board my nephew's ship. We found you adrift in the ocean," Iroh said calmly.

I dropped my hands and bowed quickly to him as he turned around. "I'm very sorry General Iroh. I didn't know who it was," I said in a hurry.

Iroh smiled. "Well it is quite alright. You woke up in a strange place you have not been before. I would understand if you are nervous," he said with understanding. "Now, introductions. You can call me Iroh. What might your name be?"

 _Oh crap. Anju, Roku help please._ A name popped into my head. _Thank the spirits._ "My name is Kazumi," I said softly.

"Such a beautiful name for a young lady," Iroh said with a smile. "If I might ask, why would such a nice girl be out alone in the middle of the ocean?" he asked curiously.

I opened my mouth to try and stumble my way through an answer when I heard a steady pounding on the door. "Uncle! I know the girl is awake! Open the door!", Zuko yelled through the metal. Uncle and I both sighed.

Uncle stood up and opened the door to reveal an angry looking Zuko. "Nephew, she has only just woken up. You might want to wait and-"

Zuko interrupted and said,"Who are you? Why are you here?"

 _Wow. A record. Only five seconds and he's managed to get on my nerves. I hate old Zuko._ "I'm here because you took me out of the ocean, smart one," I said sarcastically.

"How dare you speak to me that way, peasant?", Zuko roared.

"I dare to speak to you like that because you don't even know me and you're already treating me like crap!" I roared back at him.

Iroh put himself in between the two of us and held us away from one another. "Prince Zuko, why don't you go up to the deck for some fresh air while I talk with our guest?", Iroh said without room to argue. Zuko glared at me and huffed, blowing fire out of his mouth and stomped out of the room.

Iroh looked at me carefully and I suddenly felt very self conscious. "It has been a long while since I have seen someone who was able to stand up to my nephew like that," Iroh said. I just stared.

"I don't know what to say. I just hate anybody getting in my face like that," I responded.

"So. Back to our previous discussion. Why would someone like you be drifting in the ocean?", Iroh asked curiously.

My stomach filled with dread. "Is there anyone around who could possibly hear this conversation?" I asked.

Iroh looked at me strangely. "No. There are no guards around and my nephew will be on the deck for a little while now, just blowing off steam. Why?", he responded.

"Good." I took a deep breath. "I must ask you first that whatever is said between us right now, stays between us," I said nervously. Iroh paused for a moment and then agreed. "Alright." I paused. "I am the Guardian."

Iroh took a breath in and his eyes widened slightly. "I also know of your nephew's mission to capture both the Avatar and me. I only ask that you not tell Zuko who I am yet. Please. I need your help Iroh. I need help in order to keep balance." I pleaded.

"Why would you tell me this?", he asked.

"Because I know I can trust a member of the White Lotus." I said.

"How do you know that?", he said sharply.

"Please don't think I'm crazy." I took a deep breath again. "Please believe me even if this sounds impossible. I'm from a different world. I come from a place beyond the Spirit World." I paused and looked at Iroh just to see an impassive face. "Avatar Roku and Guardian Anju have brought me to this world and have tasked me to be the next Guardian."

We waited in silence for a few moments. I dreaded every passing minute. _There's no way he's going to believe me. I'm going to be locked away and sent to the Fire Lord to die. I'm never going to be able to help Aang._ The list kept going on and on in my head until Iroh cleared his throat and looked me directly in the eyes. "I believe you." It felt like the weight of the world came off of my shoulders.

"Thank you so much," I said with relief.

"Have you mastered fire and air yet?", Iroh asked.

I looked down. "No, I haven't. I just got to this world," I said softly.

"May I teach you firebending, young Guardian?" Iroh asked respectfully.

I snapped my head up. I looked to Iroh with wide, disbelieving eyes and an open mouth. _Why would he do something like that?_ "I-I would be honored if you would teach me," I said as I stood up and bowed to my new teacher.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Oh my gosh, I am so sorry for the wait. I didn't mean to wait this long to post. I kept putting it off because of homework, but I'm back now with a new chapter!**

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 _"I would be honored if you would teach me," I said as I stood up and bowed to my new teacher._

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Iroh nodded and stood up. "Well, if you are going to start learning fire bending tomorrow, then you need your rest," he said. "I imagine you are very tired after everything that has happened," he said, looking at me with kindness.

"I guess you're right," I said while yawning and stretching my arms out. "I didn't really realize until just now how tired I was."

Iroh smiled and turned to walk out, but I stopped him. "Thank you again Iroh. You have no idea how much it means to me."

"You are very welcome Kazumi," he said kindly. "Oh and you can call me Uncle if you wish." He smiled and walked out of my room.

 _I honestly don't understand how he can be so nice. Alright now I guess I need to get some sleep. I have a job to do._

 __

I went over to the bed and looked at the Fire Nation outfit neatly folded on the bed. I sighed and put it on. Then, I slid under the red blanket and fell into a dreamless sleep.

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I woke up to someone gently shaking me and calling my name. I rolled over and pressed my face down into the pillow. "Ugghhhhhhh", I moaned. "Let me go back to sleep. The morning is evilllllllll."

Iroh started laughing. He tried to say, "I amsorry you feel that way", through his laughter, "I will bring some tea and breakfast to your room to help you wake up."

And with that he left. _Well I guess I have to get up now. Of course I would be the only firebender who hates the morning._ I slowly pulled the covers back and rolled out of bed. I yawned and stretched my arms out and heard my back pop. I attempted  
to fix my hair just as I heard a soft knock on the door.

"Come in", I said.

The door creaked open as I saw Iroh with a tray in his hands. I walked quickly towards him. "I'll get that for you," I said pointing towards the tray.

"Oh no. It isquite alright," Iroh said kindly. He set the tray down on the floor while I put down some cushions on the floor for us to sit on. Once we both were sitting down, Iroh started to pour some tea. "Jasmine?", he asked.

I started to feel somewhat embarrassed.I guess Iroh noticed this because he said, "Did I say something wrong? Are you alright Kazumi?" He looked at me with concern.

"No, it's alright," I said while I blushed. "It's just that...Well it's just that I've never really had tea before," I said rubbing the back of my neck.

Iroh eyes widened farther than I thought was possible. "YOU HAVE NEVER HAD TEA BEFORE?!," he cried. "This is very very bad. We have to remedy this immediately," he said, getting up and rushing towards the door. "I will be right back. This is very  
important."

And so I got educated on every teeny tiny detail on tea.

It's night now as I crawl into my bed. I yawn as I settle under the covers for the night and fall to sleep.

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 **A/N: Sorry I made this a super short chapter. I just kinda wanted to do this for some reason. Anyways I would love any suggestions for future events or ships or pretty much anything. Thank you all for putting up with me!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: So I know it's taking me a little bit to get to the actual episodes, but I really want to put these parts in it. I'm either going to start on the episodes in the next chapter or in the chapter after that. Also, as a last point, thank you sooooooo much to every favorite, follow, and review. Now, let's get on with the story.**  
/

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 _It's night now as I crawl into my bed. I yawn as I settle under the covers for the night and fall asleep._

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I wake up again to Iroh's light tapping on my shoulder. This time though, I try a little bit harder to wake up without all of the whining. Unfortunately, I can't help it.

"Iroh why do I have to wake up so early?" I asked.

He chuckled and said, "Normally fire benders wake up when the sun rises. We get our strength from the sun."

I sat up in the bed and said, "Well I hope that the better I learn firebending, the better I can wake up early." It shocked me for a second as those words left my mouth. _This is so surreal. I get to actually learn firebending._

Iroh just smiled and said, "Well, I will be waiting for you out in the hall. We can go get some food. I would not want for your first lesson to be on an empty stomach."

"Thank you Iroh," I said, grinning widely.

Iroh left the room, and I got out bed. I rubbed my face to wake myself up a bit and changed into some fire nation clothes that Iroh had somehow got for me. I put my hair in a ponytail and went out into the hallway. But, of course, I had to run intoa certainprince.

"Watch where you're going!" I heard Zuko yell. "Oh, its you," he snarled at me. Zuko turned to his uncle and yelled, "Why isn't she in a cell and why haven't you let me question her?"

Iroh calmly said, "Kazumi is my friend and she will be joining us on the ship for a little while. There is no need to question her, for I already know a lot about her."

"I'm going to get some food," he snarled and stomped off.

I sighed, "Great. We get to see him again."

"It will be alright," Iroh said as he guided me towards the cafeteria. We finally reached it. Once we walked in, I felt a lot of stares on me. I did my best to just look forward and not pay any attention to them.

I followed behind Iroh while he got our food. I tried to carry the trays holding the food for him again, but he wouldn't let me. We sat down at one of the empty tables in the room.

I looked down at my food. It was some kind of cooked meat sliced into chunks on top of rice. _I guess stuff like this is going to be my new diet. I like Chinese food, so maybe this won't be so bad. I'm really going to miss burgers though._

"Is everything alright, Kazumi?" Iroh asks, jolting me from my thoughts.

"Yeah," I said timidly. "I like this type of food, and I'm really thankful for it. But it's still kind of shocking that I'm not at home," I say. After a short pause, I say, "At home we have all different kinds of food. Most of them aren't like what's inthis world, but some are."

Iroh smiled sadly at me and said, "It must be hard being in another place with so many differences."

"It is, but I have to look at the bright side of things," I said sadly. "There's no changing the past now, but I can shape my future."

Iroh looked at me, somewhat surprised. "You are very wise for your age," he said.

"Th-thank you," I say, not really knowing how to handle the compliment. I looked down at my food again. Then, I noticed that there were only chopsticks to eat with. _Oh my god. There's not a fork._ I mentally facepalmed. _Of course there's not going to be a fork. How do you even use these things?_ I reachedout and grabbed the chopsticks. I tried to hold them a few different ways, but they eventually fell out of my hand while I was fumbling with them.

I looked up to Iroh's chuckling and blushed from embarrassment. I started to stare a hole through the table. "Do you not know how to use chopsticks Kazumi?" I hear Iroh ask.

I mumble, "No, we use something else where I come from," as I continue to stare down at the table.

"Kazumi, look up at me," Iroh says kindly. I look up at him. "Do not be embarrassed you cannot be expected to know how to do something that you have never done before."

"But it just makes me feel really stupid in front of you," I try to protest.

"You are that in no way Kazumi," he says firmly. "All it means is that I am going to teach you how to use chopsticks."

Iroh pulls up a chair next to me, and I spend a good ten minutes learning how to use chopsticks.

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 **A/N: So this turned into another filler chapter even though I didn't mean for it to. Ugh. I need to stop doing that. But I promise I'll get on with it soon enough. Anyways, please review and tell me any certain things you want to see happen in this story, or any ships, or any constructive criticism, or anything else!Thank you for reading!**


	6. Chapter 6

_Iroh pulls up a chair next to me, and I spend a good ten minutes learning how to use chopsticks._

* * *

After we finish eating, Iroh and I walk up to the deck. _Oh, I see that Prince McGrumpypants is already working on firebending._ I hear Iroh start to laugh.

"What?" I ask.

"That is the funniest thing I have heard! How did you come up with a nickname like that?" Iroh says through his laughs.

"Did I really say that out loud?" I asked, embarrassed. Iroh just nodded at me while his laughing died down. "Well, I called him Prince McGrumpypants."

Iroh patted his stomach and said, "I will have to remember that Kazumi. You know how to make an old man laugh."

I started to laugh a little bit. "Thanks, Iroh."

"Well, as promised, we will start firebending training," he said.

"Yes!" I yelled. I jumped high up in the air with one of my fists shooting up.

"Alright, calm down," Iroh said.

We sat down cross legged on the deck. Iroh started my training by explaining each of the elements to me like I know he will to Zuko later on. Then, he puts me in a stance and I have to learn how to breathe correctly. By the time a few hours havepassed, we go back in for lunch and then start to work on firebending again.

"I feel that you have mastered breathing enough to be able to use small amounts of fire," Iroh said calmly.

"Already?" I asked surprised. _It took Aang longer than this. Well it will take Aang longer than this._

"Yes, you are moving rather quickly, but I feel like you will be able to control it," Iroh said.

Iroh pulled out a tea leaf. He did the same exercise that Jeong Jeong would do with Aang. I concentrated on the leaf and it eventually turned into fire.

"I'm actually firebending," I said in awe.

"Yes, now I want you to keep the flame steady. Concentrate on your breathing. Firebending comes from the breath," Iroh instructed.

So that's what I did for a long time. Later, Iroh told me that I had done well, and we went to our respective rooms. And so, for a few months, I got to train with the Dragon of the West in firebending. I had mastered all of the beginner forms and abouthalf of the intermediate forms when Katara and Sokka woke Aang from the iceberg.

* * *

Iroh, Zuko, I, and some other crew members were up on the deck when a giant bluish beam of light shot up. I immediately felt different. I could somewhat sense Aang, I guess. It felt like I could reach out and get his attention. It felt really weird, andI didn't really understand.

I'm broken from my thoughts by Zuko asking, "Uncle, do you realize what this means?"

"That I won't get to finish my game?" Iroh says jokingly. I try, very unsuccessfully, to stifle my giggles.

"It means my search is about to come to an end," Zuko saidseriously. "That light came from an incredibly powerful source! It has to be him!"

Iroh groans and says, "Or it's just the celestial lights. We've been down this road before, Prince Zuko. I don't want you to get too excited over nothing. Please, sit." "Why don't you enjoy a cup of calming jasmine tea?" Iroh asks kindly.

"I don't need any calming tea!" Zuko shouts in anger.

"Sure you don't," I mumble under my breath.

Zuko continues, "I need to capture the avatar! Head a course for the light!"

I sigh and walk over to Iroh. "Can I learn how to play?" I ask, gesturing at the game. He nods yes, so that's what we do until it's nighttime.

* * *

The next morning l wake up a little bit past dawn. I was right. The better I got at firebending, the easier it was to wake up early. I quickly got ready and ate and headed up to the deck for my firebending training.

I walk up onto the deck to be met with Zuko's pity party about Iroh not teaching him the more advanced set. I sigh and walk over to Iroh once they finish their argument.

"Is it alright if I learn the advanced set with Zuko?" I ask politely.

Iroh looked up at me surprised. "How did you know that?" he asks. "You were not close enough to hear Prince Zuko and I talk about that."

I smile sadly and say, "This is where my knowledge of upcoming events starts."

"Ah," Iroh says in understanding. "How much longer until you join the Avatar?"

I sigh. "I don't really know. I know when all of us will meet up with him, but I don't know if I need to leave so soon. I still need to master firebending, but Aang will need help."

Iroh looks up at me and then nods. "It will be your choice Kazumi. Do what you think is right," he said wisely.

"Thank you Uncle," I say as we look at each other in surprise. "Oh um I-I didn't me-mean," I stutter through my surprise as Iroh hugs me tightly.

I had never in all of these months called Iroh that. "I am very honored that you would call me that Kazumi," Iroh says as he pulls back to look at me.

I'm rooted to the deck in shock. "You're probably the kindest and most caring person I've ever met. You took me in when I didn't have anyone. It's my honor to call you my Uncle."

He smiles at me and says, "How about some firebending training now?"

And so, we work on firebending until the sun sets.


	7. Chapter 7

_And so, we work on firebending until the sun sets._

* * *

I wake up in the morning and go about my usual routine, but my mind is in a fog. _What am I gonna do? Do I help Aang once he gets captured? Do I let him escape on his own? Do I stay? Do I go?_  
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I jerk back into the present when I hear Zuko shouting at me. "What? Sorry I didn't hear you." I automatically respond.

Zuko huffed and said, "I said that we are going to find the Avatar. He set off a flare from a fire navy ship."

"Oh. Ok. Great," I said, forcing a terse smile. "I'll just be in my room until we get there." I walk back to my room and go sit on my bed. _Alright, so Aang is going to be captured. That's inevitable no matter what I do._ I smile. _Aang can never stay out of trouble._

 _So, do I need to help him once he comes on the ship? Maybe I can keep his staff and help him escape. Hmm. Ok that sounds like a plan. Next. When Zuko and the others chase us down, I need to help Aang keep them back and don't let him go into the Avatar State. But wait, he'll need to do that so that Sokka and Katara can get on board and get us. Wait. Are they even going to let me come with them?_

I let out a groan. _How will they even trust me? I'm a firebender, and I can't even bend air yet. How am I supposed to convince them I'm the Guardian._ I massage my temples with my fingers. _This is gonna be a lot harder than I thought._

All of a sudden, I'm thrown off my bed. I hit the floor with a thud and wince. _Welp here we are._ I race out to the deck where I find Iroh calmly looking over the railing at the small village. I stride over to the railing and watch Zuko as he yells  
at the Water Tribe people. Once he pulls Gran-Gran out of the crowd and shakes her around, my hands tighten on the railing as I grow angry at what I'm seeing. I take deep breaths to try to calm myself.

"I'm going to go down and wait for Zuko at the entrance," I say tersely. I don't even wait to see Aang show up. I just want to get this over with. The war finally showed up. I never really thought about it, and it never fully dawned on me what kindof world it would be like. Now, it just makes me pissed off and sad.

Soon enough, the entrance opens with Zuko holding Aang by the collar of his shirt. Zuko lets go of a now tied up Aang to grab his staff. "This staff will make an excellent gift for my father. I suppose you wouldn't know of fathers, being raised by monks,"he snarls at Aang. Zuko looks to the soldiers and says, "Take the Avatar to the prison hold." Then, he turns to Iroh. "Take this to my quarters."

I step up and take the staff. "I know you must be tired after this long day, Uncle. I'll take the staff for you," I say kindly. Iroh looks at me curiously but nods his head.

I grab the staff and quickly walk to my room which happens to be on the same hall as Zuko and Iroh's rooms. Soon enough, I hear the sounds of a commotion. I open the door and step out and close it behind me just as Aang rounds the corner.

"Come on! I'm gonna help you get out of here!" I yell, motioning for Aang to follow me.

We race out onto the deck with around ten soldiers and Zuko following us. We turn around to face them. I hand Aang's staff back to him. _I guess now is a good time to start protecting Aang._

I say to Aang, "Go on your glider and fly out of here. Your bison should be coming with the two Water Tribe siblings to pick you up."

"But.." I hear him start to argue.

"Go!" I say with no room to argue. I start to launch a volley of fire blasts in a wide arc to keep the soldiers at bay. Unfortunately, Zuko manages to avoid my fire and shoots Aang down from the sky. Aang hits the deck hard and groans. I turn my fireblasts onto Zuko, but the soldiers protect him and fire at me. I have to start to focus on blocking all of the fire coming at me.

I hear Katara shouting for Aang and I know that he's fallen off the edge of the ship. I hear the splash in the water, and I feel a familiar feeling start to run through me. It's like when Anju gave me her power before I came here. I feel myself gointo theGuardian State when Aang goes into the Avatar State.

It's like I'm watching myself. I don't actually feel like I'm doing anything. I watch myself rise up in a cyclone of air like Aang does in the water. While Aang pushes the soliders with water, I push them back with air, and we both comeout of  
our respective states and collapse on the deck, exhausted.

I slowly open my eyes when Sokka and Katara go to fight the other soldiers. I stumble onto my feet like Aang, and I turn to him. "You guys should hurry and get out of here."

Aang looks at me for a moment and says, "You should come with us."

I have to think for a moment. _I knew I would have to decide this. Ugh, if I stay what's going to happen to me._ My stomach instantly fills with dread. _Zhao._

I finally come back to my senses. "Are you sure?", I ask him.

Aang nods his head excitedly. He air blasts himself up onto Appa while I struggle, trying to grab fistfuls of Appa's fur to drag myself up with. I eventually get on and get settled just when Sokka and Katara run on.

Once we get into the sky, Sokka turns towards me and stops. He glares at me and says, "Who are you?"

I open my mouth to answer when I feel a fireball coming at us. I hop up quickly and send a strong fireblast to stop it. _Fighting fire with fire, I guess._ I smile a little at my own joke.

I turn back to see Sokka and Katara's hateful faces, and I realize that it's _me_ they're looking at that way. I clear my throat awkwardly and say, "I'm Kazumi". I pause and look at Aang. For a second it almost feels like he knows what I'm about to say. I shake it off and add, "I'm the Guardian."

It didn't have the effect that I thought it would have. Katara didn't look as hateful towards me, but she still looked suspicious. And Sokka. Well Sokka probably wanted to throw me overboard. They sent me one last look and started talkingto Aangabout his being the Avatar.

I sighed and looked down at my hands. I felt like crying. _I'm all alone. I left Iroh. I don't have am I even here?_ A tear slipped down my cheek. I heard someone walking toward me, and I quickly wiped it away. I looked upand saw that it was Aang.

"Hey," he said kindly.

"Hey," I said back. I looked around and saw that Sokka and Katara and went to sleep for the night while we flew on Appa. I looked back down at my shoes.

"Can we talk for a second about Avatar stuff?" he asked quietly.

I smiled slightly. "Sure. I guess this is new for both of us."

"So how did you survive all of this time? Apparently I was frozen in an iceberg until Sokka and Katara found me?"

I pursed my lips and looked up at him. "Can I trust you? Will you believe me if I tell you something that sounds crazy?"

He laughed lightly. "I'm not sure this could get any crazier after the past few days."

"Oh just wait," I mumbled under my breath. I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose. "So here goes. Aang I'm not even from this world."

"What-"

I stopped him. "Please. Please, no interruptions until I'm done."

He nodded and I told him of coming from my world, of what Guardian Anju and Avatar Roku did, and my past few months with Uncle and Zuko.

He looked at me and blinked for a few times. "That's insane."

I stopped. I started to laugh hard as quiet as I could. "That's the understatement of the year," I said after I finished laughing. "Hey Aang?"

"Hmm?"

"Is there any way that we can figure out some of the other Avatar/Guardian stuff later? I'm really tired after today."

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm exhausted. It was a busy day. Well, goodnight Kazumi," he said while he went to make a spot to sleep in.

I turned and laid down near the back of the saddle and quickly fell asleep.


	8. Chapter 8

_I turned and laid down near the back of the saddle and quickly fell asleep._

* * *

I woke up with the sun the next day as usual. I squinted my eyes against the bright light and held my hand up to my face. _My room usually isn't this bright. Where- Oh. I'm not on the ship anymore._ I don't even call the world I came from my homeanymore.  
I've accepted that there's no going back, so I have to make the best of it in this world.

My eyes adjust to the light and I look around. I see Katara and Sokka in their sleeping bags near the front of the saddle. I see Aang yawning and starting to get up.

I stretch and stand up shakily. I don't feel really stable since Appa is still flying through the air. Once I don't feel like I'm going to fall, I smile and close my eyes, just feeling the wind on my face. I open my eyes and see Aang's questioninglook.

"I do that because it's kinda...it's kinda...refreshing, I guess. I can't really explain it," I tell him, trying to somewhat explain.

Aang just nods his head knowingly. "I feel that way a lot too." He walks over to me, careful not to wake up Sokka or Katara. "So, back to Avatar/Guardian stuff."

"Yep."

"What all do you know about it?" Aang asks me.

I rub the back of my neck. "Welllllll...not that much honestly. I probably know as much as you about it. I only know the stuff you already know or will know about it."

I hear a yawn and we turn around to see Katara stretching. She rubs her eyes and then says, "Good morning, Aang." After a bit of thought, she adds, "Good morning, Kazumi."

After the surprising "Good morning" that Katara said to me, not much happened. We flew until the sun was about to set. Then, Aang landed Appa on an island on the way to the Southern Air Temple. We all hopped down and stretched our legs.

We started to unload Appa, and before we knew it, Sokka had already got his sleeping bag unfurled and had fallen asleep. I stared in amazement.

I turned to Katara and said, "Your brother honestly has to be the most talented sleeper in the whole world."

Aang and Katara both started laughing. "I never knew a firebender could be this funny or nice," Katara said, surprising me.

"Thanks," I said to her, laughing a bit. "I try. Oh. Aang? Can you go collect firewood? I'll light a fire once you get back. Until then, I can help Katara since her brother decided to bail on us and sleep."

"Sure," Aang said with a smile.

We eventually got settled, and everyone went to sleep.

* * *

I woke up as usual and started the fire again. I got into my meditation pose that Uncle had taught me and started to meditate on the flames. _In. Out. In. Out._ I kept doing this until I felt that I had my inner fire in check. I opened my

eyes to find Katara hurriedly looking away from me.

"You know, it's ok to talk to me or ask me a question. I promise I'm not here to hurt any of you," I tried to say kindly.

I guess she took it the way I meant it and not offensively. I sighed in relief. Sometimes I didn't have the best way of wording things.

"I know and I'm sorry. It's just...hard. To trust firebenders, I mean. Our past with them hasn't been the best."

I smiled sadly at her. "I know. I'm sorry. One of my goals is to stop this war and make sense of the Fire Nation. Some of them aren't at fault; they're just following what they've always been taught is right, and they need to be taught differently. Ihope  
it can change and be the nation it always could have been."

"You're evidence that Fire Nation people can be good. I think I finally believe there can be good people from there and that it can change."

"Thanks Katara."

Soon, Aang walked back to camp. "Is everyone ready to go?" he asked excitedly.

I shook my head and pointed to Sokka. "Not everyone."

Aang looked around and picked up a stick. "Hey guys, watch this," he said mischievously.

As he drew the stick up Sokka's sleeping bag, he yelled, "Sokka! Wake up! There's a prickle snake in your sleeping bag!"

"Aaahhh! Get it off! Get it off! Aaahhh!" Sokka yelled, jumping up and down in his sleeping bag.

All three of us fell to the ground laughing hysterically.

"Oh, that was good," I said while wiping the tears from my eyes.

Aang jumped up on Appa's head and said, "Great! You're awake. Let's go."

We all scrambled onto Appa's saddle, and we took off into the air. After flying for a few hours, Aang exclaimed, "The Patola mountain range! We're almost there!" 

The rest of us shared and uneasy look. Katara tried to explain the inevitable. "Aang? Before we get to the temple, I want to talk to you about the airbenders." 

Aang floated into the saddle. "What about 'em?"

"Well, I just want you to be prepared for what you might see. The Fire Nation is ruthless. They killed my mother and they could have done the same to your people," she tried to say gently.

Aang just smiled, "Just because no one's seen an airbender doesn't mean the Fire Nation killed them all. They probably escaped."

 _Sometimes I have to admire Aang's optimism. I just don't want to see him get hurt._

"I know it's hard to accept," Katara tried to say.

Aang shook his head. "You don't understand, Katara. The only way to get to an airbender temple is on a flying bison, and I doubt the Fire Nation has any flying bison." 

He got back on Appa's head and rubbed it. "Right, Appa?"

Aang pulled the reins tighter, and we flew at a steeper angle. We went higher and higher until Aang said, "There it is...the Southern Air Temple."

My jaw dropped. _It's beautiful. It's almost like a mountain resort you would see in my other world._

Appa landed, and we all jumped down. Aang and I raced to the top of the stairs and waited for Sokka and Katara. Once they got to the top with us, Aang started to give us a mini-tour. 

"So that's where my friends and I would play airball!And... over there would be where the bison would sleep... and..." he ended with a sigh.

Katara, being the comforting person she is, asks, "What's wrong?" 

"This place used to be full of monks and lemurs and bison. Now there's just a bunch of weeds."

I put my arm across Aang's shoulders. "So. Airball, how do you play?" I wiggle my eyebrow. "It should be part of my formal airbending training. Don't ya think?" I said teasingly.

Aang's face broke out into a grin, and he pulled me to the airball court. He hastily explained to rules and how to play. He shot both of us up onto the poles with a burst of air. I somehow managed to grab ahold to one of them and balance myself on it.  
/

Aang formed a ball of air and shot it towards me. I looked at the rapidly advancing ball in fear. I shot my hands out to stop it, but, instead of pushing air out of my hands, I shot a fire blast. The airball pushed me through the goal and into the snow.  
I hit the ground with a very loud thud. 

I sat up holding my head and groaned. "Ok. Maybe not my best idea ever."

Katara ran up and asked, "Are you alright?"

She helped me up and I said, "Sure. We'll go with that."

Sokka called over to us, "Guys, check this out."

We walked over to see what he was talking about. My mouth turned sour whenever I saw the burnt Fire Nation helmet in the snow. 

"We need to tell him," Sokka said.

Katara turned and called, "Aang! There's something you need to see!"

We saw Aang jump down smiling and start to run over to us. Katara and I shared a look. She quickly brought her arms down, covering the helmet with snow. 

"What is it?" Aang questioned.

Katara looked nervous and said, "Oh, it's just this new waterbending move I learned!"

Aang smiled and said, "Nice one! But enough practicing. We have a whole temple to see!" He ran off to another part of the field.

Katara and I let out sighs of relief. Sokka just shook his head at us and stood up. "You can't protect him forever," he said, resigned.

Katara just shrugged his comment off and walked away. I sighed and turned towards Sokka. I met his eyes and said, "No, but I can try." I ran away to meet up with Aang and Katara. 

* * *

**A/N: Alright! I'm on spring break, so I posted a bit earlier than usual. Aaaaannnnndddd, hopefully again within the week. Hopefully. Anyways, I'm splitting this episode up into two chapters because I have a surprise! It may also take up a good portion of the next chapter, but it'll be worth it. Anyways, a big thank you to all of my readers! You're awesome people for still reading this!**


	9. Chapter 9

_Katara just shrugged his comment off and walked away. I sighed and turned towards Sokka. I met his eyes and said, "No, but I can try." I ran away to meet up with Aang and Katara._

* * *

Aang calls to us, "Hey guys!"

We all crowd around the statue Aang is showing us. "Who's that?" Sokka asks.

"Monk Gyatso, the greatest airbender in the world. He taught me everything I know," Aang states with pride.

Katara comes up to him and puts a hand on his shoulder. "You must miss him."

Aang looks down sadly. "Yeah," he says softly. Suddenly, he looks up, smiling, and says, "But come on! Let's go to the Air Temple Sanctuary! There's someone that Kazumi and I need to meet."

We all head towards the sanctuary and stop at the closed double doors. Katara glances between Aang and I and said, "But...no one could have survived in there for a hundred years."

"It's not impossible. I survived in that iceberg for one hundred years," Aang says matter-of-factly.

I just decide to keep my mouth shut and not say anything about what's actually inside the sanctuary. _I'm actually kind of excited to see this._

Sokka runs up and tries to pry the doors open. He stops with a huff and turns to Aang. "I don't suppose you have a key?"

Aang laughs and says, "The key, Sokka, is airbending." Aang takes in a deep breath, draws his arms up, and pushes them out which puts two streams of air into the old pipes of the doors. The air flips the air symbols on the doors over. The doors start  
to creak open, slowly.

Aang and I decide to venture in first with Sokka and Katara following us. Aang calls out, "Hello! Anyone home?"

I say to Aang, "Can you feel that?" I feel a familiar feeling that I assume is just the spiritual feeling that comes from all the Avatar and Guardian statues in the room, but there's another feeling that seems like it's calling to me.

We keep walking past all the statues, and the feeling gets stronger. Thankfully, it takes up enough presence in my mind that I can ignore Sokka's complains about there being no meat.

"Who are these people?" Katara asks, drawing me out of my thoughts.

Aang answers, "I'm not sure, but it feels like I know them somehow." He points to one of the statues. "Look! That one's an airbender!"

"And the one with it is a firebender," I point out.

"The next pair in the cycle is a waterbender and an airbender!" Katara notices. "They're lined up in a pattern. Air, Water, Earth, and Fire."

"That's the Avatar and Guardian Cycle," Aang says.

"Of course!" Katara exclaims. "These people are your past lives!"

Sokka interrupts, "Past lives? Katara, you really believe that stuff?"

"It's true!" Katara defends. "When the Avatar and Guardian die, they're reincarnated into the next nation in the cycle."

Aang and I had been walking ahead. I see something up ahead, and I run just to stop in front of Roku and Anju's statues. The feeling reaches a peak as I see what's in front of the pair of statues.

Katara comes up and shakes both of us. "Aang! Kazumi! Snap out of it!"

Aang apologizes, but I just sit down cross legged in front of what I found. "Is that an egg?" I hear Aang ask distantly. I don't pay attention, but I reach out and put my hand on it. I feel myself enter the Guardian State, and I find myself in a clearing  
with Avatar Roku and Guardian Anju and the egg still in front of me.

"What just happened?" I asked out loud, confused.

"You are in the Spirit World with us for the time being," Roku answered. "We have to explain something."

I open my mouth to ask, but I quickly close it and just decide to be patient. I look down at the egg. It's a golden color, and it looks very intricate. I look back towards Roku and Anju and wait.

"Do you know what an animal guide is?" Anju asks me.

I nod my head. "It's typically an animal from someone's birth nation that is their friend and guide for life. Like Appa with Aang," I answer.

"That's correct," Roku replied. "Do you know who my animal guide was?"

"A dragon named Fang," I said. "What does this have to do with me though?"

Anju said, "Normally, every Avatar and Guardian have an animal guide."

It finally clicked in my head. "So...you're saying whatever is in this egg is my animal guide?" I ask, confused.

"Yes," Roku answered. "It is a dragon egg, specifically." My mouth dropped open in disbelief. Roku continued, "Fire Nation Avatars or Guardians typically have dragons as their animal guides. My dragon, Fang, mated with another before we passed on, and  
this egg is the result of that."

"I'm truly honored by this, but how is this even possible? How did it survive one hundred years?"

"I am not totally sure how dragon eggs hatch in the wild, but sometimes dragon eggs will only hatch whenever a person they deem worthy touches them," Roku explained. "Fang told me to set aside this egg specifically for this purpose. Dragons just know,  
sometimes," Roku said, smiling.

I look down at the egg and hold it. It just felt alive in a way. I looked back up at Roku and Anju. "Thank you. Before I go, can you please tell me some things I need to know about dragons?"

Roku nods his head. "Dragons, like humans, need food. They only eat meat, and you can either fetch the meat yourself or let them hunt. They also are all different sizes. This dragon will most likely be a smaller size, so it will be a little smaller than  
Fang. Your dragon will be a fully developed dragon by the beginning of summer, and it will probably be large enough to ride near the end of winter."

I nodded my head quickly, trying to commit all of this to memory. "Thank you very much," I say.

"But wait," Roku interrupted. "There is one more thing before you go. There is the matter of you naming it. Choose wisely," Roku said with a smile as I left the Spirit World.

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes, feeling a bit out of it. "Kazumi!" I heard someone calling while shaking my shoulders. _Aang._ "Kazumi! Are you alright?", he asked, concern shining in his eyes.

I nod quickly and smile. "I'm actually more than alright right now." I reach out and put both hands on the egg and wait.

The egg starts to shake slightly, and a crack forms. More cracks appear and soon a little red nose pops out. The little dragon chipped away at the eggs enough where it could climb out. I heard the gasps from Aang, Katara, and Sokka.

The dragon climbed into my arms and put one of its whisker-like things on my forehead. I felt something warm run through me. Something came to mind.

"Rhu," I state warmly.

I hear a chorus of, "What?"

"Her name," I say calmly. "Her name is Rhu." She climbs up and perches on my shoulder. The nice moment is broken by a crunch outside the sanctuary. We all freeze, then scramble behind the statues.

"Firebender. Nobody make a sound," Sokka says seriously.

"You're making a sound!" Katara protests.

"Shhh!", we all say to Katara.

Sokka brought up his weapon, getting ready to hit the "firebender" he thought was coming around the corner. Momo came inside the sanctuary, surprising Aang, Katara, and Sokka.

"Lemur!" Aang shouted.

Sokka drooled, "Dinner..."

They both raced off, leaving Katara and me in their wake. We both started laughing for a good minute. Once our laughing quieted down, I turned my attention onto Rhu. I gathered her into my arms and petted her smooth red scales.

"She's beautiful," Katara said in awe.

I nodded and Rhulooked in her direction. Rhublinked slowly once at her, and then she curled up into my arms and closed her eyes.

I looked up at Katara. "I guess she's tired."

Katara and I kept walking around and looking at the statues. Suddenly, felt something inside me. The Avatar statues' eyes began to glow. Katara and I shared a look. We both raced to find Aang and where he was.

We finally reached where Aang was. He was already in a air sphere that hovered off the ground. Katara ran over to question her brother about Aang and what was happening. I already knew, so I tried to make my way to Aang.

I put my hands out in front of me to stop some of the air. _What I would give to be able to airbend right now._ I forced my way until I could grab his wrist. He looked down at me with an enraged expression.

"Aang!" I shouted. "I know it's hard right now, believe me I do! I know how it feels! My whole world was yanked away from me too! Please, come back to us! It's hard, but you can have a new family with us!"

Katara had finally reached us. She grabbed Aang's other wrist. "Kazumi is right Aang! We can't ever replace what you lost, but Sokka, Kazumi, and I, we're your family now!"

Aang slowly descended and the air sphere vanished. He came out of the Avatar State and collapsed into Katara's arms.

Sokka came up and put his hand on Aang's shoulder. "We won't let anything happen to you," he said gently.

"I'm sorry," Aang croaked.

Katara rubbed his back and said, "It's okay. It's not your fault."

"But you were right. And if firebenders found this temple that means they found the other ones, too. I really am the last airbender," Aang said sadly.

We all huddled around and gave a group hug.

* * *

Sokka and Katara had left to go pack up their belongings onto Appa, leaving me in the Air Temple Sanctuary with Aang.

/

"How is Roku supposed to help me if I can't talk to him?" Aang asked.

"You can," I respond. Aang looks at me like I've gone insane. "You can though. We both can, actually. He's one of your past lives, Aang. If you look deep enough inside yourself, he'll be there. But I'm not totally sure how to do that yet without help  
though."

We both turned around, hearing someone walk into the sanctuary. It was Katara. "Everything's packed. Are we ready to go?"

We nod and walk outside. Aang walks over to Appa and Momo. Momo scrambles into Aang's arms, and Aang turns around to face us. "Guys, welcome the newest addition to our group."

"What are you gonna name him?" Katara asks.

Momo jumps out of Aang's arms and grabs a peach. Aang smiled and said, "Momo."


	10. Chapter 10

**Ok, so first things first, I am so so so sorry for taking forever to upload this chapter! I was having some major writer's block, but now I will try my best to update more quickly. Second, thank you to all of my readers for all of the reviews, favorites, and follows! Now let's get this show on the road!**

 ****

* * *

_"What are you gonna name him?" Katara asks._

 _Momo jumps out of Aang's arms and grabs a peach. Aang smiled and said, "Momo."_

 __

* * *

After leaving the Air Temple, we traveled on Appa for a while headed to all the different places Aang wanted to visit. I think the most stressful day had to be the one where I had to explain my past to Katara and Sokka. I remember Katara asking what I meant when I told Aang that I knew how it felt to have my whole world taken from me. I ended up telling Sokka and Katara my whole backstory of coming from a different world, talking with Avatar Roku and Guardian Anju, and spending time with Zuko and Uncle.

Afterwards, none of us really talked for a while. I think Katara and Sokka were kind of in shock. I think they accept it now though. 

* * *

I groan and say, "Aang, are we any closer? We've been flying for Spirits know how long."

"You have no idea where you're going, do you?" Sokka says, looking up from the map he's holding.

Aang looks around and say sheepishly, "Welllllll, I know it's near water."

"I guess we're getting close then," Sokka deadpanns.

I crawl over to Rhu after that wonderful conversation. She pads over and settles into my lap. I smile and start to trace the patterns of her scales when I hear the beginnings of Sokka's sexist comments.

"Stop bugging her, airhead. You need to give girls space when they do their sewing," he said dismissively.

I raise my eyebrows up. "Excuse you?" I ask dangerously.

Sokka apparently doesn't realize the hot mess that he's just got himself into. He starts to explain by saying, "It's simple. Girls need space to do their sewing and cleaning while men do the hard work of hunting and stuff. It's the natural order of things."

"All done with your pants! And look what a great job I did!" Katara says with exaggerated happiness.

I smirk as she throws them at Sokka's face.

Sokka pulls them off of his face. "Wait! I can't wear these! Katara, please!" Sokka begs. Katara doesn't answer him, so he turns to me instead. _Bad move, Sokka._ "Kazumi, will you _please_ help me. You're a girl. I can't do this!"

I put on a fake smile and talk to Sokka in my nicest and politest voice. "Oh no Sokka! I'm sure I could do something that could fix your pants for you. I know since you're a big strong man, you can't trouble yourself with things like this."

I take the pants from Sokka and he smiles. "You see Katara. Now this is someone who understa-WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Flames are still coming out of my hands as Sokka's pants finish burning to ashes. "Oh no. Sorry. I guess all girls can't sew as well as you thought Sokka," I say with fake concern.

Everyone just stares at me in shock. Then, Katara and Aang bust out laughing while Sokka just glowers over in his corner of the saddle. I just lean back with a huge grin on my face.

Aang looks over his shoulder and says, "That's ok Sokka. Where we're going, you won't need pants!"

I hold up a finger and laugh saying, "As my first job as your Guardian, I'm going to protect all of us by teaching you to think about the way you say some things, Aang." 

* * *

Appa lands on the beach shortly after that, and we all hop down from the saddle. _Yay! I finally get to stretch!_ I twist my back from side to side and hear a few cracks.

"We just made a pit stops yesterday. Shouldn't we still be flying?" Sokka asks Aang.

Katara and I turn towards the conversation and she says, "He's right. At this rate we won't get to the North Pole until spring."

Aang walks over to Appa. "But Appa's tired already, aren't you boy?" I see Aang start poking Appa with his elbow. "I _said_ aren't you boy"

I snort as Appa groans, trying to go along with Aang. I look around and it looks like nobody's buying it, but Sokka says, "Yeah, that was real convincing. Still it's hard to argue with a ten ton magical flying monster."

I turn to Sokka about to tell him to stop calling Appa a monster, but Aang shouts, "Look!" We all look out to the ocean where he's pointing. My mouth drops open as I see a giant fish jump out of the water.

"That's why we're here," Aang says as he starts to strip to his underwear. I hurriedly look away from him. "There's elephant koi here. I'm going to ride some. Katara, you've gotta watch me!"

Aang races out and jumps into the water. Katara and I let out a few giggles when Aang jumps into the air and yells. We wait and start cheering for him once he gets on one of the fish. Soon enough, we see something coming behind Aang and the fish, and we all start shouting and swinging our arms, trying to get him to come back to shore. We all look on in worry as he gets bucked off the fish and thrown into the water. I see Aang come up and hear him yell once he sees the Unagi behind him. The next thing I can see is him crashing into Sokka.

Katara and I rush over to them. "What was that thing?" Katara asks.

"I don't know," Aang answers.

Sokka stands up and brushes his pants off. "Well, I don't think we should stick around to find out."

I drop into a fighting stance when at least six or seven people drop out of the trees. There's at least two people trying to fight each of us. Three of them are heading towards me. One of them charge at me and swings her fans. I quickly block her attack and sweep my leg, catching her feet and sending her crashing into the sand. The two others come at me at the same time. I dodge one of their attacks and punch the other warrior a few times.

I wince. _I don't want to hit them. I know they'll be nice to us later._ I'm jerked out of my thoughts as a few others race over to me and surround me. Behind them, I see that Aang, Katara, and Sokka are all blindfolded and tied up. I'm still in my fighting stance and I look to see how many warriors are surrounding me. I start thinking about my choices, but I feel a hard hit to the back of my head and I black out. 

* * *

I keep my eyes closed, but I wake up to an incredible headache. I squeeze my eyes and hiss in pain. Katara shouts, "Hey, guys she's awake!"

I groan a bit, "Katara, please, not so loud"

"Oh sorry," she says in a whisper.

Aang bursts through the door. "Kazumi! You're ok!" _So much for not being loud._

I sit up on the bed I was laying down on and smirk. "Yeah, I've got a thick head. I'll be fine." I look around the room. "Where's Sokka and Rhu?"

Katara answers, "Sokka's just upset that a bunch of girls beat his butt. Now, he's stormed off to go talk to them. And Rhu-"

"Is right here," Aang finishes. He has Rhu in his arms, and he hands her over to me. Rhu looks up at me and puffs a tiny cloud of smoke out of her nostrils. She pads around curls up into my arms.

I smile and pet her. "Awwww, you're still adorable even when you try to be mad at me Rhu. I don't think you can help it."

We all let out tiny laughs at that. I know she's kind of angry with me for getting hurt. That's why she blew the puff of smoke at me, but I know she can't stay mad at me because she's curled up in my arms now.

I get off the bed and stand up. I put Rhu down on the bed where I was and stretch. Rhu makes a noise of disagreement and flies-more like hops-onto my shoulder.

I smirk and say to Katara and Aang, "I think someone is a bit clingy." We share a laugh. I go on to ask, "So what are you guys going to do now?"

Aang answers, "I don't know. I was thinking about just touring the island. They're giving us the royal treatment! They're even repainting Avatar Kyoshi's statue in our honor!"

"That sounds like a good idea, Aang," I say.

Katara, being the practical one, says, "Yeah, but we can't stay here for too long. That would be kinda risky." We all start to walk towards the door. "It's nice to see you excited about being the Avatar for a change. Just don't let it go to your head."

"Me? Come on, Katara. You know me; I'm just a simple monk," Aang says simply.

We walk through the front door and see a massive crowd of fan girls that cheer for Aang and drag him away. I snort. "Simple monk all right."

I turn to Katara and say, "I think I'm going to try to find Sokka. Let's see if he actually managed to beat any of the Kyoshi Warriors." I wave bye to her and start to walk down the road with Rhu still on my shoulder.

I walked down the road humming a song I knew to myself. Once I walked into town, I felt weird. I looked around and noticed a mix of different emotions from person to person in the town. Some people that looked at me were looking at me with excitement or awe. Others looked livid. Like they hated seeing a firebender on their island. I looked down and walked faster. _I guess it doesn't matter whether I'm the Guardian or not. Some people are just gonna hate me because I'm a firebender._

I put my head down and walk faster. Right into someone. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!" I hurriedly say to whoever I ran into. I look at who it is and I find out that I bumped into- "Katara?"

She smiled up at me. "Hey Kazumi. Can you help me pick these up?" She geustures to the basket and all of the vegetables on the ground.

I nod and get on my knees and help pick up all the vegetables on the ground. I look at her and see frustration all over her face. _I'm not totally sure but I don't think I'm the reason she's that upset. Well, let's see._

"So Aang's being a jerk now, isn't he." I said it more like a general observation than a question.

Katara just sighed. "Yes. He is. He's letting all of this Avatar stuff go to his head! He's over there interested in all of his fan girls and not in the people who are traveling with him in the first place!" Katara finished in a huff.

"Do you feel better now that you let that out?" I ask her. Katara just nods. I continue, "But you're right. He is letting it go to his head. Unfortunately, I know that nothing we say to him is going to convince him otherwise. This is something he's just going to have to figure out on his own." I help her up and we carry the basket back to the house Kyoshi Island provided for us.

Unfortunately for me, we had to pass through town, and I got to go through all the staring all over again. Katara noticed this and we sped up our pace until we reached the house. Once we went inside I let out a breath and slumped down in a chair.

"Are you okay?" Katara asked me.

I look up at her. "No, not really, to be honest. I'm pretty sure at least half the town wants to kill me. It doesn't even matter that I'm the Guardian. They just see another ruthless firebender that's out to take over the world."

"Well, they're wrong. Eventually, they'll see that. Until then, I think I may have a temporary solution to your problem," Katara said.

I raise my eyebrows at her. "What could be a solution to my problem?" I ask with genuine curiosity.

She points at my clothes. I look down. I'm still in my Fire Nation clothes that I had from staying with Zuko and Uncle. I realize what Katara means. "Ohhhhhhhh" 

* * *

We eventually make it back to the house after clothes shopping. With Katara's help, I got two Earth Kindgom outfits. I went straight to my room and changed into one of them. Then, I went outside and loaded my Fire Nation outfit and my other Earth Kingdom outfit onto Appa's saddle. I walked back up to the house just to almost be run over by a fuming Aang. I just shook my head and went about loading our supplies onto Appa's saddle. By the time I got finished, it was starting to get late.

I walked down to the beach and sat on the sand. I looked over the ocean water and sighed. It seems like years ago since I was on that beach in my other world. I have to remind myself that it's only been a few months. _So much has changed..._ Then, I see a ship on the water coming towards the island. _Zuko._ I get up and sprint to the village. Then, I keep running to where the Kyoshi Warriors' training building is. I get there at the same time as Oyagi, the village leader. He quickly announces the ship's presence and we all run out and get ready to ambush the soldiers.

It seems like time moves slowly as the ship comes to a stop on the beach and the soldiers on rhinos come out of it. Zuko is in the front. They stop in the middle of the town.

"Come out, Avatar! Come out, Guardian! You can't hide from me for forever!" Zuko shouts into the air. He turns to his men and orders, "Find them."

The Kyoshi Warriors jump out and start to attack Zuko and the Fire Nation soldiers, but it doesn't take long before they're overtaken.

"Nice try, but these little girls can't save you," Zuko yells.

Aang and I both jump out at the same time. He's on one side of Zuko while I'm on the other. "We're here," Aang says.

Zuko jumps off of his komodo rhino and makes a wide arc of fire in front of him, trying to hit both of us at the same time. I block the fire while Aang jumps around it. Aang tries to use his staff and attack, but Zuko punches and sends fire blasts that knock it out of his hands. While Aang recovers, I turn to Zuko and send some fire blasts his way. He easily avoids them, but Aang uses a pair of fans he found to blow Zuko into one of the destroyed buildings.

I run up to Aang. "Go and find everyone and get everyone on Appa. You'll be faster on your glider," I say to him. He looks at me like he's about to argue but I say, "I'll be right behind you. Don't worry." He nods and launches into the air.

I take a deep breath and try to make my way back to where Appa was. After fighting of many Fire Nation soldiers, I finally made it to the clearing where Appa was. I saw that everyone was there so I scrambled up Appa's tail. Once I finally got into the saddle, Appa took off into the air.

There's a sad and tense atmosphere in the air as we leave. Katara moves closer to Aang and says, "I know it's hard, but you did the right thing, Aang. Zuko would have destroyed everything if we stayed."

Aang doesn't say anything, but he jumps off of Appa and into the water after a few seconds. We all scramble to the edge of the saddle to see Aang on the Unagi, basically using it as an oversized water hose. Once the village is no longer on fire, Aang is flung up onto Appa.

He holds his hands up in surrender and says, "I know. I know. That was stupid and dangerous."

"Yes, yes it was," Katara replied.

Katara draws Aang into a hug while he blushes. I just smirk and shake my head.


	11. Chapter 11

_Katara draws Aang into a hug while he blushes. I just smirk and shake my head._

* * *

After leaving Kyoshi Island, Aang told us that we only had one more place to visit. Omashu. I was super excited too. There was so much to do in Omashu. There was everything from the insane mail cart rides to meeting Bumi. I'm excited that Aang gets to see one of his old friends again.

Unfortunately, it seemed like it was going to take forever to get there. We all tried everything to evade the boredom but to no avail. I even tried to teach Rhu how to fly. Just the memory makes me cringe. It was just the day after we left Kyoshi.

* * *

 _Rhu was starting to get bigger. She was about the size of a golden retriever-a very scale-y reptilian one- but still. Anyways, she was starting to get big enough that none of us knew how much longer she could ride in the saddle with us. That honestly made me kind of nervous. I didn't know if she could even fly yet! I haven't ever seen her fly. And if she didn't know how to fly, I honestly didn't know how she was going to learn. This wasn't exactly covered at school. Or by Roku, for that matter._

I guess I'll just have to find some way to teach her. _I crawl in the saddle until I'm close to Aang. I can't actually sit next to him because he's sitting on Appa's head. "Hey Aang, I have a request for you and Appa," I start off._

 _Aang turns his head towards my voice. "Yeah?"_

 _"Ok so you know how Rhu is growing and getting bigger kinda fast right?" He nods. "And you know that she probably won't be able to fit in the saddle for much longer right?" Another nod. "So I was just thinking, just a thought, that maybe we might need to teach Rhu how to fly."_

 _Aang let go of Appa's reins and he turned all the way around to face me. He looked at me like I had just grown a second head. "You want to what?" he asked._

 _I hold my hands up in defense. "I mean, it's not such an outrageous idea. Have you seen her fly at all?" Aang thought for a moment before shaking his head. "Ok, so maybe she just doesn't know how."_

 _"So how would you even begin to teach a dragon how to fly?" he asked. "We don't have wings or anything."_

 _"It sounds crazy but maybe you could fly Appa a bit higher than normal, and we could drop her outside of the saddle." Aang's eyes widened at my suggestion. "Wait, wait ,wait before you freak out! You haven't heard the rest of my idea!" I said, trying to calm Aang down. Once he looked somewhat ready to listen I continued, "Once she's dropped into the air, she might have a natural instinct to use her wings. If she doesn't, then we could always swoop down and catch her before she hits the water. We could do that until she gets the idea of how to fly."_

 _Aang looks like he's thinking about it. After a minute or so he asks, "Are you sure that would work? Do you think she would just naturally learn how to use her wings?"_

 _"Do you have another idea?" I ask. Aang shakes his head. "Ok, then let's just try this one. There's no other dragons to teach her right now. If it doesn't work, I'll find some other way to teach her."_

 _Aang reluctantly agreed, so he urges Appa to fly higher into the sky. Katara and Sokka notice this and come up to the front of the saddle with me._

 _Katara asks, "Is there a reason we're flying higher, Aang?"_

 _"Kazumi is going to try to teach Rhu how to fly," Aang answers casually._

 _The Water Tribe siblings turn towards me and look like they're questioning my sanity._

 _"What? I haven't seen her fly at all. She has to learn sometime. And preferably before she outgrows Appa's saddle," I try to reason. They still don't look too sure._

 _I crawl over to Rhu, who is laying down near the side of the saddle. "Come on, Rhu! Get up. You get to learn how to fly today," I say excitedly._

 _Rhu just lifts her head up and stares me down for a few seconds before laying back down. I huff. "Okay, we'll just do this the hard way. Ready Aang?" They all give me a thumbs up._

 _I somehow manage to gather Rhu up into my arms. As I start to lean her over the edge, she lets out something between a screech and a roar and starts to flap her wings at me. This made it much harder for me to hold her, and she slipped out of my arms. Rhu batted her wings and stayed up right beside Appa._

 _I scrunched my eyebrows together, thinking. "Wait. You didn't even fall. You knew how to fly that whole time?"_

 _My answer apparently was a very pissed off dragon shooting a small ball of fire straight at my face. "Ahhhhhh!" I yelled as I stood up blocking the fire. Rhu just kept firing at me which caused me to keep backing up and deflecting it. After about the fourth or fifth blast, the heel of my foot hit the edge of the saddle and I tipped over the side._

 _"AHHHHHHHHHH! OH MY GOD! HELLLLPPPPPPP! AANG! KATARA! SOKKA!" I screamed while I frantically waved my arms around, trying to grab ahold of something. I don't know what though._

 _I saw Appa fly down and dip under me. Sokka and Katara helped pull me into the saddle. I landed with a thud. I rolled onto my back, still breathing heavily. It took me a second, but I realized that everyone was laughing. At Me. My cheeks heated up in embarrassment. Even Rhu was doing something like a purring sound that I guessed was laughter._

 _I looked over at her. "Well played Rhu. Well played," I said. "I guess we're even now. I have learned my lesson. So please, don't ever throw me out of the saddle again."_

* * *

I shook my head as the memory ended. That was a check off of my list of things to never do again.

"Hey guys we're almost there!" Aang excitedly said to us.

He landed Appa in a small clearing, and we all got off. Aang motioned for us to follow him. He led us up a small hill. Once we reached the top, he gestured to the Earth Kingdom city.

"I present to you, the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu," he said proudly.

Of course, I had seen the city on TV whenever I was watching the show, but here it looked amazing. Omashu looked like an endless maze of earthen buildings that nothing could ever break down.

Aang continued, "I used to always come here and visit my friend Bumi."

"Wow. We don't have anything like this back in the South Pole," Katara said in awe.

Sokka exclaimed, "They have buildings that don't melt!"

I rolled my eyes at him. "They had buildings that didn't melt on Kyoshi too," I said teasingly. Sokka just stuck his tongue out at me in annoyance.

Aang launches down the hill, but stops at the bottom. "Well lets go slow pokes! The great city awaits!"

"Wait, Aang. It could be dangerous if people find out that you're the Avatar," Katara calls out.

Sokka agreed, saying, "You need a disguise."

So we walked back to where Appa and Rhu were. "So what am I supposed to do?" Aang asks. "Grow a mustache?"

Katara, Sokka, and I all share a knowing smile. Soon enough, Aang was covered in Appa's fur. It formed into a mustache, beard, and crazy hairdo for Aang. He just itches at it.

"How do you live in this stuff?" he asks Appa in annoyance. Appa just grunts back at him.

"Good, now you look just like my grandfather," Sokka says, proud of his handiwork.

"Technically, Aang is 112 years old," Katara points out.

I jump in the conversation. "Ok, now we need to have a backstory. Since you said he looks like your grandfather, maybe we could actually pretend that he is," I suggest.

Everyone seems to be in agreement so Aang says in his grandpa voice, "Lets get to skippin', young whippersnappers! The big city awaits!"

We start to head along the narrow path to the entrance to the city. "You guys are going to love Omashu. It has the friendliest people in the world," Aang tells us.

Right after Aang finishes, the guards up ahead catapult a cabbage stall into the ravine below. I know exactly what's coming next. The cabbage merchant screams, "My cabbages!"

I try so hard not to laugh. After all, the man's livelihood was just thrown off a cliff. But I can't help it; I burst out into laughter. Everyone just stares at me like I'm insane.

"I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. It's just the 'my cabbages' thing is really funny. It was a joke in my other world," I say, trying to find a reasonable excuse.

Soon enough, our group is standing in front of the guards. One of them lifts up a huge boulder above us. "What's your business here?" the guard demands in a loud voice.

Aang rushes up to him and pokes him a few times in the chest. "My business is my business, young man, and none of yours. I've got half a mind to bend you over my knee and paddle your backside."

The rock drops with a boom behind us. The guard just stands in shock while our "grandfather" rattles on at him. I glance over and see Katara and Sokka's terrified faces. Between them and the scene in front of us, I have to bite my lower lip to keep from laughing at the absurdity of it all.

The guard finally comes to his senses and tries to calm him down. "Settle down, old timer. Just tell me who you are."

"Name's Bonzu Pipinpadaloxicopolis, the Third, and these are my grandkids," Aang says with a smile.

Katara steps forward a bit. "Hi, I'm June Pipinpadaloxicopolis. Nice to meet you."

"You seem like a responsible young lady. Make sure your grandfather stays out of trouble. Enjoy your stay in Omashu," the guard replies.

The guard steps aside and our group walks to the entrance to the city. The guard calls out, "Wait!" We immediately stop and turn around. The guard points at Sokka. "You're a strong young man. Show some respect and carry your grandfather's bag."

"Good idea!" Aang exclaims, throwing his bag at Sokka and almost knocking him over.

We hurry through the gates and the close behind us. We collectively let out a sigh of relief. "Well that was fun," I say, trying to break the ice.

Aang looks back at us and motions for us to follow him. "Now we can get on with the real fun!"

We follow him until we're on the stop of a hill and standing in front of one of the mail chutes. I'm grinning from ear to ear. _I. Am. So. Pumped. Up. For. This._

Aang begins to explain, "This is the Omashu Delivery System. Miles and miles of tubes and chutes. Earthbending brings the packages up and gravity brings them down."

Sokka seems unenthused. "Great. So they get their mail on time."

"They do get their mail on time," Aang replies. "But me and my friend Bumi found a much better use for them."

Aang works to get two carts set up for us. There was no way that all of us would fit in one cart, so Sokka and I would be in the first cart while Aang and Katara would be in the second. Sokka and I would go first so that if we needed any airbending help then Aang would be right behind us.

Sokka and Katara seemed a little more on edge about this idea than Aang and me. Before we got in our respective carts Katara came up to me. "Have you done anything like this before, Kazumi? Are you sure this is safe?"

"Oh yeah! We used to have things like this all the time in my old world. They were called roller coasters." I said excitedly. I rubbed the back of my neck. "As for safe though, in my old world, we had a LOT more safety features. But it'll be ok. We have Aang's awesome airbending powers on our side here," I said, waving off those concerns.

We hurriedly got into our carts before we could rethink this idea. Katara spoke up, "Aang, I'm not so sure about this anymore. I think I'm having second THOUGHTS," she screamed as we started to speed down the chute.

The only thing I can possibly compare the ride to is Goliath, the roller coaster at Six Flags. Well, with no seat belts and some free falling on the side. We dodge everything from spears to houses. Until both of our carts ram into the cabbage merchant's stall.

"My cabbages!" he screams in anguish.

Aang holds up two fingers and sheepishly says, "Two cabbages please."

* * *

Now all of us are kneeling in front of Bumi. The guard says, "Your majesty, these juveniles were arrested for trespassing, traveling under false pretenses, and malicious destruction of cabbages."

The cabbage merchant stands up and yells, "Off with their heads! One for each head of cabbage!"

I roll my eyes. _Oh come on, dude. Seriously? First off, isn't that just a little bit extreme? You know, just a tiny bit over the top? And second, there's no way that would work. There's only four of us compared to your whole cart of cabbages._

The guard cuts the cabbage man off. "Silence! No one can pass judgement except for the king. What would you have us to do, sire?"

I stare up at Bumi. He leans forward a bit and says, "Throw them...a feast!" He finishes with a big gesture with his hands.

The guards stare in shock before quickly escorting us out of the throne room and down a set of hallways. We stop in front of a gigantic door. It's opened and we are ushered inside. After we all are in the room, the guards shut the door behind us. Aang, Sokka, and Katara all look really confused.

"I think we're supposed to sit down and wait," I say, motioning to the huge table in front of us.

After about ten minutes, Bumi finally walks in and stands behind us. The food is right behind him too. Once everything is set up Bumi says, "The people in my city have gotten fat off of too many feasts, so I hope you like your chicken with no skin."

And smiled but said, "Thanks but I don't eat meat."

Bumi turns to Sokka instead. "How about you? I bet you like meat." Then, he practically shoves the chicken drumstick into Sokka's mouth.

Bumi leaves to go to his seat. Katara turns to all of us and asks, "Is it just me, or does this king's crown seems a little crooked?"

Before anyone could say anything, Bumi sat down in his seat and interrupted. "So, tell me young bald one. Where do you hail from?"

"I'm from...Kangaroo Island," Aang finishes, looking proud that he came up with something.

"Kangaroo Island, eh? I hear that place is really hoppin'!" Bumi says jokingly.

 _Take a deep breath in...And breath out. In and out. Pay no attention to the corny jokes. Just let the awfulness of them drift away._ I say this to myself in a joking meditation way.

Meanwhile, Sokka is about to fall out of his seat from laughing so hard. We all just stare at him. He sees this and tries to explain, "What? It was pretty funny!"

Bumi stands up, stretching his arms out, and gives a fake yawn. "Well, all these good jokes are making me tired. Guess it's time to hit the hay." Then, he takes a chicken leg and launches it towards Aang.

Aang leans the chair back and catches the leg in a small air ball. All the guards in the room gasp in awe. Aang notices and drops the chicken leg and looks around the room like he hasn't just airbended.

"There's an airbender in our presence, and not just any airbender, The Avatar!" Bumi says extravagantly. "Now what do you have to say for yourself, Mr. Pipinpadaloxicopolis?"

Aang stands up and holds his hands up in defeat. "Okay, you caught me. I'm the Avatar, doing my Avatar thing, keeping the world safe. Everything checks out." He lift me the tablecloth up to look underneath it. "No evil firebenders here! Good work, everyone!" he proclaims as we all stand up and walk backwards toward the door. "Love each other, respect all life, and don't run with your spears! We'll see you next time!"

We reach the door, but the guards cross their spears so that we can't leave. Katara shouts at Bumi, "You can't keep us here. Let us leave."

Bumi holds up a piece of lettuce. "Lettuce leaf?" He takes a big bite out of the leaf.

Sokka lowers his voice and says, "We're in serious trouble. This guy is nuts."

Bumi gets serious and says, "Tomorrow, the Avatar will face three deadly challenges. But for now, the guards will show you to your chamber."

One of the guards looked confused and turned to the old king. "My liege, do you mean the good chamber or the bad chamber?"

"The newly refurbished chamber," Bumi replied.

The guard was still confused. "Wait, which one are we talking about?"

"The one that used to be the bad chamber, until the recent refurbishing that is. Of course, we've been calling it the new chamber, but we should really start numbering them," Bumi rambled on. He came to his senses and declared, "Take them to the refurbished chamber that was once bad!"

We were led down a series of hallways until we stopped in front of a wall. Sokka opened his mouth to question them, but the earthbenders bent the wall down before he could say anything. Our group went into the large room and looked around. The guards shut the "door" behind us.

"This is a prison cell?" Katara asked. "But it's so nice."

Aang jumped in, "Well, he did say newly refurbished."

"Well, refurbished or not, it's still a prison cell," Sokka pointed out.

 _You know, if I didn't know what was happening, I would totally be on board with Sokka's thinking right now._

Aang looked deep in thought, "I wonder what these challenges will be."

"We're not gonna stick around and find out," Katara answered.

"How do you think we're going to get out of here, Katara?" I asked. "It's not like Aang can earthbend us out of here yet. And there's no other doors!"

"The air vents!" Aang exclaims, pointing at one.

Sokka sat down on one of the beds. "If you think we can fit in there, you're crazier than that king."

"We can't, but Momo can!" Aang tried to explain.

Needless to say, Momo couldn't. I think he gained ten extra pounds at Bumi's feast. We all just gave up on that idea and sat on our beds.

"I guess we'll just go to sleep. Looks like you're going to need it tomorrow, Aang," Katara somberly said.

* * *

I woke up slowly. I still had my eyes closed, but I scrunched my eyebrows together in confusion. It felt like I was moving. I quickly opened my eyes and realized that I was being dragged out of the room. I opened my mouth to scream, but a hand is put over my mouth. I try to struggle, but soon I'm dragged out of the door and it closes.

I shoot a small burst of fire out of my mouth and hands. The person holding me quickly lets go and lets out a loud shout. I hear all of the guards around me shout "Firebender!" _Oh great. Look what I just got myself into._

I see a few of the guards drop into earthbending stances. I notice that the only ones that don't are the ones holding Sokka and Katara back. The guards start to make small chuncks of rock and launch them at me. I want to curse the limited room in the hallway as I try to dodge them. I start to alternate between making large fire blasts to break them up and dodging them.

After a few seconds, I feel myself starting to wear out. It's me against about five guards. Those aren't the best odds. _I know I'm the Guardian, but I can't last forever._ I only managed to last for a few more seconds until I dodged straight into the path of another boulder.

It hit my stomach hard and knocked the breath out of me. I could hear both Sokka and Katara shout my name. I couldn't do anything but cough and lay there until a pair of guards yanked me to my feet and slammed me into the side of the wall, holding me there. I grunted when I hit it and clenched my teeth in pain. A few other guards came up and put what I'm guessing to be an earthen form of handcuff on me. They covered all of my hands and bound them together.

My two guards yanked me off the wall and shoved me forward. "You're going to pay for that, firebender," they sneered. "Let's see what the king will say to you."

The whole walk was filled with jeers and shoves for me. At least, Katara and Sokka were still being treated well from what I could hear. The guards weren't giving them a hard time for traveling with a firebender or knowing a firebender, so that was a small victory. We stopped in front of a giant, ornate door and my stomach filled with dread. _What is Bumi going to do with me?_

The door opened slowly and we were lead in. Our entourage stopped while Sokka and Katara were lead to the side and kept there. _Oh goodie. This means more fun for firebender me._ I was pulled forward until I was a few feet in front of Bumi, who was sitting on his throne. Then, I was pushed roughly down on my knees.

The guard began to speak, "Sire, while we were taking the Avatar's friends out of their chamber, we discovered this vile firebender in their midst. She bent fire at the guard holding her and then proceeded to attack the rest of the escort. What would you have us to do to this scum, Sire?"

 _Ohhhhhhh no. You did not just call me that. Scum? Oh yeah, buddy. Let me out of these handcuffs. I'll really show you what I can do. Now you've made me pissed off._

I can imagine that I probably look livid, but, despite my anger, I keep my head pointed at the floor the whole time. There's no way it's going to help me get out of this mess. _Ok, so time for a plan. First plan, use the whole "Guardian" thing to get me out of this situation._ _One small problem with that plan-_ _I don't think Bumi knows I'm the Guardian. It's not like I can tell him either. I don't have any proof. I can't blow one poof of air at all. So yeah, telling them that I'm the Guardian would totally work out. Next idea. I could beg him to spare me or whatever...no, I'm not going to do that. Let's cross that off the list. Alright, so last idea. I could just hope for the best and wait to hear what he has to say. Actually...why hasn't he said anything yet?_

I look up at Bumi with what I'm sure is a very confused look on my face. He's just grinning like he has some master evil plan at work. _Ok, not the look I was expecting. Well of course it's not what I was expecting. This is Bumi we're talking about._

"I should have known that the Guardian would visit us with the Avatar. Such horrible manners that I would leave you out of the festivities," Bumi said.

 _What? How did he even know I was the Guardian?_

Gasps of shock go around the room as the guards realize who I am. I'm not even paying attention to them. I'm just curious about how Bumi knows who I am. "How did you even know that I was the Guardian? And why didn't you say so before now?" I question him.

Bumi cackles. "Well, I know who you are because of many different reasons. Most of them being the news that both the Avatar and the Guardian have returned, the countless bounty posters of the both of you, and I have friends that speak very highly of you."

I just sit there in shock. One, because of how fast news had traveled. Two, because Bumi had managed to trick me. And three, because he said friends that speak highly of me. _Who could that even be? The only person that I've really gotten to know besides the Gaang is...Iroh._ _How did he even talk with Bumi? Did he send a message to people in the White Lotus?_

Bumi interrupted before I could finish my internal QandA. "You may go over to your friends for now. Once the Avatar is brought to face his challenges, you will face them as well." With that, he sent me on my way over to Sokka and Katara.

I walked across the room in a daze. _Ok, that whole scene was a bit unexpected._ I finally reached the other side of the room to where Sokka and Katara were. "Kazumi!" they shouted, sounding relieved. I awkwardly waved at them.

The guards moved away to give us some room, but they were still close enough to keep an eye on us. Katara and Sokka rushed over to me.

"Are you ok? The guards were really rough on you. What did the king say?" Katara asked me rapidly.

I hold my hands up. "Alright, first, calm down. Take a few deep breaths. Now, to answer your questions. Yes, I'm alright, and the king knows I'm the Guardian and is making me do the deadly challenges with Aang."

Sokka jumps in, "That's not ok. This crazy king is keeping us locked up here and is going to make both of you do these stupid challenges!"

I try to calm him down, "Sokka, it's fine-"

"No, it's not fine!" he interrupts. "Look, you have this future knowledge stuff, right? Why don't you just use it to bust us out of here?"

I pinch the bridge of my nose. "Sokka, it doesn't work like that. I can't just change this, and I can't explain why not." _More like I won't. That would be an extremely long and difficult explanation._

Sokka just huffed and walked away. I just closed my eyes and tried to somewhat prepare myself for all of the challenges.

* * *

After about an hour, a pair of guards came to escort me somewhere. I'm guessing to where Aang and Bumi were. We stop in front of a wall and earthbend it down. I walk through to see Aang looking angrily at Bumi. He sees me and brightens up. "Kazumi! You're ok!" he says happily.

I smile and walk over to him. "Yeah, some of the earthbenders didn't like my firebending too much though," I say with a laugh.

Aang looks back over to the king. "Where's my other friends? Give them back so we can leave!"

Bumi grins and says evilly, "Oh I thought you might refuse."

Another wall drops down, and we see Katara and Sokka lead out by a pair of guards. The guards place rock rings on their fingers. They try to pull on the rings and take them off but they can't.

Bumi continued, "I have given your friends some special souvenirs. Those delightful rings are made of pure genemite, also known as creeping crystal. It's crystal that grows remarkably fast. By nightfall your friends will be completely covered in it. Terrible fate, really. I can stop it, but only if you cooperate."

I see the crystals glow and inch up their fingers a bit. Sokka yells and tries to pull it off again. "It's already creeping!"

Aang looks back at me with a fierce look on his face. I see the question in his eyes. I nod. Aang turns back to Bumi and says, "We'll do what you want."

Bumi cackles maniacally and we're lead away.

There's a guard in front of us, leading the way, and a guard behind us, making sure that we keep up and don't escape. They're far enough away that they won't hear us if we whisper to each other.

Aang whispers, "You said that you know stuff that's going to happen right?"

"Yeah, you guys had a legend or story that I knew of in my world," I answered. I had told them that whenever I explained to them where I was from and how I knew them.

"So do you know what's going to happen now?" he asks nervously.

I look over at Aang. "I know what the challenges are going to be. I'll help you through them as much as I can, and I promise that we'll be okay."

It looks like he relaxes a bit and accepts my reassurance. We walk the rest of the way in comfortable silence.

* * *

We come out onto an earthen balcony over a room filled with stalagmites with a nice waterfall in the background. I look around until I see Bumi standing with Sokka and Katara.

I hear his voice break through the room. "It seems I've lost my lunch box key and I'm hungry," he pouts. Bumi points over to the waterfall. "Oooo there it is. Would you mind fetching it for me?"

Aang takes off before I can stop him. He hops between the stalagmites and then dives into the waterfall. I see him struggling to climb the ladder. I just put my hand over my eyes, sighing and shaking my head.

Bumi even mocks, "Ooooo climbing the ladder. No one's ever thought of that before."

Soon, Aang loses his grip and is spewed out of the waterfall. He had to do a split in the middle of two stalagmites just to avoid being impaled by another one. I take this as my chance to offer some advice.

I yell, "Aang! Wait a second!"

I see that he just moves to grab on one of the rocks. _Ok, I think he's listening._

"You won't get anywhere just diving head-on. The water is just too powerful. You need to think like an airbender; think out of the box. You're going to have to use something else to get the key instead!"

I think he understands what I mean because he looks around and then hopes off to a different section of stalagmites in the room. He breaks off one and launches it with his airbending towards the chain. The rock nails the chain with the key in the wall right above Bumi's head. Aang and I smile at each other.

Once Aang manages to get back to the balcony that I was still on, we were led to a small arena. Aang and I take a few seconds to just look around the room. There's a few rocks in the room. One has a cute bunny sitting on one of them.

"I need your help with another matter. It seems that I've lost my pet, Flopsy," Bumi says.

Aang walks over to the bunny. "Okay, I found him!"

"Bring him to me. Daddy wants a kiss from Flopsy!" Bumi calls.

"Come here Flopsy!" Aang calls out to the bunny.

Flopsy drops down behind Aang, causing the bunny to run away. Aang gives a quick look to the actual Flopsy, but then he start to run after the bunny. I laugh as I try to catch up with them. I see up ahead that the bunny just went into its burrow in the wall and Aang's trying to reach in there and get it. I finally ran enough so that I'm almost right beside the actual Flopsy. I reach over scratching his belly and he collapses on the ground. I bend down to scratch his belly some more and he starts patting his leg on the ground.

"Aang," I call to get his attention, "This is the actual Flopsy. He was following you around the whole time you were calling his name."

I stop scratching when Aang runs over. Flopsy stands up and looks at him.

Aang holds out his arms and exclaims, "Flopsy!" Bumi's pet sort of grins and licks Aang's whole face, leaving slobber all over him.

Bumi whistles and calls Flopsy over to him, leaving us alone in the arena. We look and see Katara and Sokka on a balcony overlooking the arena. The crystals are all the way up to their neck now. _That can't be comfortable._

"Guys are you okay?" Aang asks.

"Other than the crystals slowly encasing my entire body, doing great!" Katara calls back in a sarcastically optimistic way.

Aang yells to Bumi, "Come on, we're ready for the next challenge."

I turn and say to Aang, "I'm not ready for the next challenge if you're still covered in Flopsy's slobber."

We both laugh and Aang blows it off of him. Then, the guards come and escort us to another part of the palace.

We're led out onto a balcony over a huge arena. Bumi steps out on the balcony with us. "Your final test is a duel and as a special treat, you may choose your opponent."

Two super buff gladiator dudes walk to either side of Bumi. _Now I can definitely see why Aang was terrified on the show._

So you're saying that whoever I point to, that's the person we get to fight?" Aang asks mischievously.

Bumi answers, "Choose wisely."

Aang has a thinking face on. "I...choose...you!" he exclaims pointing at Bumi.

Bumi laughs, "Haha, wrong choice." The king straightens his back and throws off his robe. Aang makes a noise of surprise when he sees that Bumi isn't just an frail old man. Bumi stomps the ground, catapulting us into the arena.

I land with a thud on the ground beside Aang. We scramble to our feet as Bumi lands in the arena. "You thought I was a frail old man, but I'm the most powerful earthbender you'll ever see!"

"Can we fight the guy with the axe instead?" Aang asks nicely.

Bumi shakes his head. "There are no takebacksies in my kingdom." Bumi points his finger to one of the balconies. "You might need this." A guard throws Aang's staff towards him.

Once Aang catches his staff, Bumi starts launching rocks at both of us. Aang dodges them while I break through them with strong fire blasts.

"Typical airbender tactic: avoid and evade, and typical firebender tactic: attack and attempt to overpower. I'd hoped the Avatar and Guardian would be less predictable," Bumi jeers.

Bumi sends another boulder flying over to Aang, but he avoids it by jumping into the air. He starts to spin his glider to keep him up there. Bumi turns his attention to me. He sends a shock wave of rocks on the surface of the ground. I jump to dodge it, but Bumi launched another rock right into me.

My back landed on the ground and I skidded a few feet. I just tried to catch my breath for a second before getting up. Once I stood up, I saw that Aang and I were almost at the opposite wall from Bumi.

"How are you two going to get me from all the way over there?" Bumi asked.

I know Aang was going to run straight at Bumi, so I thought of a different plan. I ran a few steps before sending fire jets out of both of my feet. They propelled me across the floor, kind of like I was skating. I went around in an arc so that I was coming towards Bumi's side. Once I was close enough, I stopped the jets, jumped high into the air, spun and brought my foot down making a huge line of fire coming down at Bumi.

Bumi created an earthen bunker around him to protect him from the fire I just bent at him. With Bumi blocking my attack, I saw that Aang finally airbended himself out of the quicksand stuff he was in. I jetted myself over to him.

"Are you okay so far?" I asked him.

Aang nodded his head. "Yeah, but how are we going to win this?"

"I don't know, Aang, but I'm sure we'll figure out a way," I try to say reassuringly. I honestly couldn't remember every move of the battle. My knowledge of the TV show wasn't as good as it used to be because I had been in this world for months already. I still remember big events but some of the details are starting to slip.

Bumi finally emerges from his little bunker. He drops into a wide stance and starts to make pushing and pulling movements with his hands. I see the cracks that are starting to form in the gate of the arena, and Aang and I both make sounds of terror.

Aang puts his staff over his shoulders and tells me to stand over towards one of the walls. Once I jet over there, Aang starts to run in a circle. I feels the air start to pull in that direction, and in no time Aang has a giant tornado formed in the arena.

On the other end of the arena, Bumi finally broke off the gate area. He hurled it at Aang's tornado, but the winds carried the giant rock around and back towards Bumi. Aang and I both ran towards Bumi and cornered him. Aang pointed his staff towards the king and I was in a firebending stance.

Bumi just smiles and looks up. We look up too and see that Bumi still has a gigantic rock above our heads.

Bumi laughs and says, "Well done. You fight with much fire in your hearts."

Bumi falls backward and falls through the ground, leaving an imprint of him. I remember this part so I was expecting it, but Aang looks like he's just had his mind blown. I laugh at him and ask, "Can I have a ride up there?" I point up to the balcony.

He nods and spins his staff above him like a helicopter blade. Once he's a few feet off the ground, I grab onto his ankles and we fly up onto the balcony.

Bumi stands in front of us and says, "You've passed all my tests. Now, you must answer one question."

Aang comes up and shouts at him, "That's not fair! You said you would release my friends if we finished your tests!"

Bumi counters, "Oh, what's the fun of tests if you don't learn anything?" _That honestly sounds like something one of my old teachers would say._

Sokka even whines, "Come on!"

"Answer this one question and I will set your friends free," Bumi stated. "What...is my name." Aang's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "And by the looks of your friends, you only have a few minutes." Bumi left after that.

Aang walked over to where the rest of us were. "How am I supposed to know his name?"

Katara jumped in, "Think about the challenges, maybe it's some kind of riddle."

"I got it!" Sokka exclaimed.

"What is it?" Aang and Katara both asked him.

"Rocky!" Sokka said excitedly. "You know, because of all the rocks and earthbending."

There was an uncomfortable silence for a few minutes before Katara said, "We're going to keep trying, but that's a good backup."

"Okay, so back to the challenges. We got a key from a waterfall, saved his pet, and had a duel," Aang listed off.

Katara questioned, "And what did you learn?"

Aang thought for a second. "Well everything was different than I expected and nothing was straightforward."

"You had to open your mind to the possibilities," I said, hoping to jog his memories.

Aang looked up at me with realization on his face. "I know his name!"

Aang rushed off to the throne room while I helped Sokka and Katara get there. Katara asked, "You knew the whole time who the king was, didn't you?"

I sighed and looked up at her. "Yes, I did."

Sokka asked angrily, "Why didn't you just tell Aang at the beginning? You could have saved us all a whole lot of time and trouble."

I answered, "One reason is because I totally agree with Bumi. It is fun messing with people. I do have some serious reasons though. One is because Aang just got to spend a whole day with one of his old friends. One of the only people still around that he used to know a hundred years ago. Another reason is because I couldn't just go and tell Aang right in front of Bumi. That would raise way too many questions that I don't want to answer. My last reason is that I'm don't want to change anything that isn't going to be harmful to us. It might change something later on and then my knowledge won't be of any use. Do you guys understand?"

They both nodded. Sokka even apologized for bugging me about my future knowledge the whole day. We finally entered the throne room as Aang and Bumi were finishing their little reunion.

"Over here?" Katara called.

Sokka finished, "A little help?"

Bumi breaks the crystals and catches one. "Genemite is made of rock candy. Delicious!" he says, taking a bite of it.

"So this crazy king is your old friend Bumi?" Katara asks.

Bumi interjects, "Who are you calling old?" We all wait for a second. "Okay. I'm old."

"Why did you do all of this instead of just telling Aang who you were?" Sokka asked.

Bumi cackles. "First of all, it's fun messing with people," I give Sokka an _"I told you so"_ look before Bumi continued, "Aang, you and Kazumi have a difficult task ahead. The world has changed in the hundred years you've been gone. It's the duty of the Avatar and the Guardian to restore balance to the world by defeating Fire Lord Ozai. You have much to learn. You must master your respective elements and confront the Fire Lord, and when you do, I hope you will both think like mad geniuses!"

We both smile and bow to Bumi. He continues, "And it looks like you're in good hands. You'll need your friends to help you defeat the Fire Nation." Momo hops onto Aang's shoulder. "And you'll need Momo too."

Aang laughs and says, "Thank you for your wisdom. But before we leave, I have a challenge for you!"

Sokka, Katara, and I headed back to Appa and Rhu while Aang had a mail cart ride with Bumi. We had made it to the animals a few minutes ago, but we could hear their laughs and shouts all the way from here.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for reading this long** **chapter! I appreciate all of the reviews, favorites, and followers that this story has so far. I would love to hear from you all and especially if you loved the little Rhu/Kazumi moment at the beginning of this chapter! See you guys next time!**


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